Olffrick Schepwocket
'Overview' Olffrick Schepwocket is a famous gnome loremaster, who become notorious for his work with the Halbjorn in northern Arcadia roughly 60 years ago. Soon after the Halbjorn reappeared to defend a gnome city from a white dragon, Schepwocket sought a chance to learn about the time-forgotten race. After staying with the Halbjorn tribe for a year, he published his findings in his ethnography, "In the City Hidden Under Stone and'' Ice."'' Here are the opening passages: : "Far to the northern coasts of Arcadia, deep through the Frozen Wastes, lay a frozen tundra edged by narrow and numerous fjords. Among these valleys, it has been said that there lays hidden a great city of stone not seen since days long passed. This place of myth is inhabitted by a tribe of bear-folk whom, until just ten years ago, were thought to have died away a long time ago. : I have been given the honor to be among the first to see that great city and its people since ancient days. We are now gathering supplies for our first venture to Heim Hjarta, as it is called in its native tongue, and expect to set sail by the end of the year." After 2 long years, Schepwocket returned to his home, where he now serves as the Gnomerish Ambassador to the Halbjorn Folk. "A Quick Note on Ursuric Names:" Among all his work, Schepwocket is most known for his detailing of Ursurian naming practices. He notes that the complex system used in giving individuals names in Ursurian culture traces itself back to the race's origins. The primary goal of a name in Ursursian culture, Schepwocket, is to give a brief, yet powerful portrait of an individual's life and accomplishments for society. All of this, and more, is documented in his ethnography, specifically in the chapter entitled "A Quick Note on Usuric Names." Included her is an overview of the chapter: : "The Ursurian naming practice is suprisingly complex. Any given individual can have anywhere between 2 and 5 names - perhaps even more than that. For explanations sake, we will examine the name Halbjorn-Ler Garnin. : Typically, the first part of an Ursurian name tells where the individual is from. Since the Halbjorn have had apparently no contact with the other Ursurian trives in quite sometime, every Ursurin's name began with 'Hal-'. In Ursurian culture, this name is called your 'home-name'. : The second part is called your 'age-name.' Halbjorn culture does not place value on the numerical counting of age, but instead imparts titles based on maturity and growth. All Ursurin begin life with the age-name 'kub.' Once they come of age and complete the coming-of-age ritual, their age-name 'kub' is replaced with 'bjorn.' : After the age-name is sometimes an 'honor-name.' These are given only to individuals of great worth, and those who have preformed great feats of strength or bravery. '-Ler', for example, is the honor-name given to a ursurian who has valiantly served the tribe as a warrior. The most common honor-name, and one of the most honored in all of Ursurian society, is the name '-Uff' - a strong name given to female Ursurians who bear young for the tribe. They are treated with the greatest respect, for it it they who are responsible for rebuilding and preserving the tribe's bloodline. : The final name is the "outsider-name." This name is given to newborns by parents, and is the named most used. This name is very much like the 'first name' of the common languages. : Much can be learned of an Ursurin just by hearing their name. However, I have been told that Halbjorn typically do not share their full names with any non-kin. Names are held sacred in Ursurian culture because of ancient tales of how their ancestors were first 'awakened' into existance by Ursis. It is said that speaking an Ursurin's full name is equated with speaking to their very core, inner-beings.r